Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
Alexei
My shoes squeaked on the freshly waxed floor as I walked into the gym. Axel was already in the ring with someone, so I decided it was best to warm up. Too bad there hadn't been any issues at the clubs, I was ready to murder. All I wanted to do was crush someone, something, it didn’t really matter at this point. Audrey had gone on another date the night before and based on Ace’s accounts, it went well. She came back up to the penthouse with a smile on her face. He hadn’t stood her up, he wasn’t a catfish, and he kissed her goodnight. They would probably see each other again and then it would go past kissing. I squeezed my eyes closed.
What the actual fuck.
When had I gotten so bad at this? Why couldn’t I just ask her on a date? Why couldn’t I just do what I needed to do to lock her down? I was going to lose her to some idiot, probably some loser.
I beat into the punching bag a few more times.
“You’re going to put a hole in it,” Axel smirked from the other side of the bag. I hadn’t even noticed him come around, my mind was so fucked. “You’ve been in here almost every day. You okay?”
I punched again and the bag swung out, almost knocking into my friend. “No.”
“Wanna talk about it?” He asked again. I couldn’t.
“Distract me.”
He laughed like I wasn’t dying inside. “I went on a date.”
I stopped my assault on the bag. “Yeah?” That was new. He hadn’t been on a date in years. The last date he’d been on was probably in high school. He screwed around with groupies sometimes, but never dated. He said he was too focused.
“What changed?” I swiped at the growing sweat on my brow with the back of my arm.
“You did. You told me about that girl you’re obsessed with,” I couldn’t even deny it. I was fucked up. “And I realized I wanted someone to be obsessed with.”
“How’d it go?”
He smiled and I punched him to get him out of his head. “It went really well. She’s really pretty.”
“Oh yeah?” He landed a punch on me. We hopped around the mat watching each other. “Wedding bells already?”
He shook his head, a soft smile on his lips. “Audrey is…”
I didn’t hear anything else he said. It was like I had tunnel vision. Everything else faded. There was no way it was a coincidence. I was so flabbergasted, that I didn’t see the punch coming. He hit the side of my face and instead of blocking, I just stood there. Time seemed to stand still as I fell to the mat. He crouched down beside me and waved his hand in front of my face. All I could do was stare. Then I was off of the mat and flying at him. There was no point in trying to play it cool or nice or even play by the rules. I don’t even remember taking my gloves off. One second I was on the mat and the next my hands were wrapped around his throat.
Someone was pulling me off of him and I was pretty sure there was a lot of yelling happening but I couldn’t hear it from the blood rushing in my ears.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
It took three of Axel’s guys to get me off of him. I didn’t know if he tried to fight me off or if he was letting me just be a broken man. I wrenched my arms free as someone stepped between us.
“What was her name?” My voice sounded low, foreign, and deadly. I was ready to kill the bastard. I didn’t care how long we’d been friends. I didn’t care that I helped him open this place. I was ready to burn it all to the ground.
“Audrey Wilde, I think.”
Red was all I could see but instead of charging after him again, I stormed away. “Fuck. Fuck .”
I slammed my way into the locker room and took a good look at myself in the mirror. This was my fault. If I hadn’t been such a pussy, I could have gotten a date with her, I could have shown her who I really was. But instead, I was playing this stupid fucked up long game. Not anymore.
“I didn’t know. And in my defense, I would have known if you would have talked about it and communicated with me like an adult. I would have known to swipe left on her if you’d just told me something when I was asking the other day. How was I supposed to know?”
“You kissed her.” I was hyper-fixated on that one fact.
He shrugged as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yes, and I guess that explains why she’s living in the same building as your brother.”
“Do you want to see her again?” That was all that mattered. If Audrey wanted to date my friend, so be it. I could be the bigger person, right? I could stand aside for their happiness. I stared at myself in the mirror and I knew I was telling myself lies. I would drink myself into oblivion if I had to see them together.
“Even if I did want to see her again, I wouldn’t because now I know the truth.” He smacked his hand down on my shoulder. “Get cleaned up, go another round in the ring if you need to but please, try not to attack anyone again today.”
“ Fuck.” I muttered to myself again.
No matter what I did that rest of the day, I couldn’t stop myself from going to Ace’s that night. I would be damned if she went on another date. I knew she was going to go on another date eventually and I couldn’t handle the thought of her going out again. I would prevent it. I would distract her. I would stop her from leaving, I didn’t care what I had to do. I would lock her in her room if I needed to.
Ace opened the door and I immediately shoved past him. I held my hand up as I stormed up the stairs. He was right on my heels. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I didn’t care what he had to say. I didn’t bother with replying. My mind was on one track.
“She’s getting ready for a date.”
Once again, I didn’t care. I would do whatever I could in my power to keep her home tonight, consequences be damned.
Knocking? What’s that? I breezed right into her room as if I owned the place. Every rational thought was right out of the window. I no longer cared about anything.
Carina sat up from her bed frowning. “What are you doing here?”
“Out!” I pointed to the door.
Her black eyebrows shot up on her forehead. “Excuse me?”
“What’s going on?” Audrey poked her head out of the bathroom, a mascara wand in one hand and the tube in the other. Her lips opened in surprise as she looked at me in the doorway. Ace standing right behind me.
“Doom and gloom in here thinks he can kick me out.”
“Are you okay?” She closed the mascara and leaned in the doorway. She was wearing a short black dress and once again, all rational thought was gone. All I wanted to do was tear it off of her but I needed her to know I wanted more. I needed more. A simple fuck wasn’t enough. It would never, ever be enough when it came to her. I just didn’t know how to convince her. I didn’t know how to do any of this. I was so fucked.
“No, I need to speak to you,” I pleaded.
Carina got off of the bed. I was sure Ace was giving her all kinds of faces behind my back. I didn’t care. Whatever I could do to get Audrey alone.
Audrey gave Carina a funny look. “I’ll be okay. Go on, we will chat later.”
The door closing behind me was the loudest sound I’d ever heard. All I wanted to do was rush across the space between us and take her in my arms, but I couldn’t. Even though my rational thoughts were gone, I still had to play my cards right. I wanted her—no— needed her.
“Does Axel mean anything to you?” It was the first question of many.
“What? How do you?” She recovered quickly, shaking her head. “Whatever, no, it was a nice date, but there weren’t any sparks.”
Relief coursed through my blood. I could breathe again but I wasn’t done.
“Do you have feelings for me?”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. “What’s going on?”
“Do you feel something for me?” My words came out more guttural this time. I was done with the games. I just wanted honest answers.
“I feel nothing.” It came out a squeak and it was the least convincing answer she’d ever given me. I saw the way her eyes darkened in that car. I felt the electricity between us. She could deny it all she wanted to.
Her cheeks stained pink and I was moving. The space between us was gone in little time. She stared up at me and I fought myself to keep from touching her.
“Tell me you hate me.”
Her eyes bounced between my lips and my glare. “I do.”
That one sounded more convincing. I didn’t care. “Tell me you never want to see me again.”
She swallowed and didn’t make a sound.
“Tell me,” I commanded.
“I never want to see you again,” she whispered.
“Liar.” The word was barely from my lips as I brought my face down from hers. “Tell me to stop.”
“I have a date,” She didn’t sound excited about it as she looked down at my lips. I could feel her breath on my face. We were too close.
“Fuck that date,” I growled and her lips turned up in a smirk. It was the only consent I needed.